


Family

by Luthienberen



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Gen, grimm_challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 09:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthienberen/pseuds/Luthienberen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roddy has a Grimm Christmas (sorry for that …). A future fic where Juliette is in the know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> Written for swanpride for the Christmas Gift Challenge at grimm_challenge, who requested a Roddy fic. Not beta-read.

Music was his sanctuary. It never hurt him only lifted him through multitudes of emotions, anger, pain, passion, joy, grief, good and evil, relief and more than he could vocalise. Even when the piece was hard to learn it only made the pleasure of getting it sweeter.

Roddy grinned as he drew his bow across the strings, it was a quick tune, lively and summoning one’s desire to tap their feet and prance. If nothing else, it would draw his beloved rats to scurry and jumpy and play around him.

Once upon a time his rats were the only creatures beside his dad who cared for him and Roddy in return loved back. Nowadays everything was different. He had people who cared for him, outside his dad. And what a motley crew they were.

 “Roddy, darling, have you finished? You need to eat.”

Roddy looked up from his violin still playing his tune. Juliette was next to him, her green eyes were sparking and her red hair was such a glorious intense red that Roddy privately believed that the sunset had become trapped in her locks when a child. He didn’t share that sappy belief with _anyone_.

“I’m fine.”

Juliette laughed. “You always say that Roddy and then always devour every nibble you can.” Juliette placed a gentle hand on his arm, “Now please join us. Holly, Monroe and Rosalee will be here soon. Wouldn’t you like to surprise Monroe with the Christmas tree?”

Roddy had to hand it to Juliette; she knew how to work him. Out of all his new acquaintances only Monroe could beat his adoration of Juliette and his gratefulness to Nick.

The Blutbad – and how many Reinigen were friends with a Blutbad? Not many if any beyond Roddy. The Blutbad had helped Roddy so much with learning music, accepting Roddy for who he was, giving him the right measure of love, encouragement and discipline that Roddy felt deep gratitude and love for his mentor. 

So, with a sigh, Roddy stopped his tune and grinned at Juliette. “You know what to say Mrs Burkhardt.”

Juliette laughed again and her voice was so sweet and caring that Roddy yearned to compose a piece for her, to show how much he appreciated her kindness, for his words could not.

“Maybe, I have to be when married to a stubborn Grimm who insists on hurting himself.”

Roddy laughed too. “Guess so. Where’s the tree?”

“In the living room, now come and you can have some cake.” Juliette wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Roddy smelled cinnamon and _home_.

“Perhaps we can also put out some for your friends.”

Roddy flushed, “My friends?”

Juliette’s green eyes sparkled, catching the lights Nick was switching on the Christmas tree. It was a splendid sight, rising easily 6’5 and draped with strings of lights, multi-coloured & just blue, and golden and silver beads with tinsel waiting in a box.

After years of unrelenting harassment form Monroe, Nick had finally caved and started decorating in style at Christmas or, in other words, exploding the contents of a Christmas shop inside and outside his house.

It could be said that sometimes the Blutbad and Grimm were bad influences on each other, for Roddy contemplated; Nick had convinced Monroe one year to go after a whole group of Reapers with no back-up.

Roddy still recalled the shouting sessions both Juliette and Rosalee had given the boys. The women had been formidable and Roddy too busy laughing to sympathise with the duo. He had been frightened as well by their rank stupidity, (everyone ignored that Nick and Monroe had actually succeeded, lucky bastards).

Anyway, back to the point, he ought to have known Juliette wouldn’t miss the detail that some of his rat friends were camped outside, nestled in a warm pile of blankets stashed in the Burkhardt shed.

“Yes, your little rat companions. I can prepare some food and drink for them if you wish.” Juliette hugged Roddy, who blushed, aware of Nick pretending not to watch.

“Yes, yes please.” 

Roddy ached inside at the understanding light in Juliette’s eyes and the loving kiss she planted on his forehead. “They’re your family Roddy and that makes them ours too. Never feel you have to hide them from us. Now I’ll fix something and you can check.”

Roddy just nodded, tears in his eyes. “Thank you.”

Juliette hugged him again and departed for the kitchen. Roddy wiped his eyes and was pleased that Nick waited for him to collect himself before asking, “So, how crazy can you get Roddy? We have to make this a tree that Monroe is speechless with joy over.”

Nick’s grey eyes flashed with humour, his face filled with childish glee.

Oh yeah, Nick and Monroe were a bad influence on each other.

However, it was enjoyable being able to dictate where each tinsel strand should go, hang baubles indiscriminately and the best part? Hanging candy canes and being allowed to taste test first.

“Very important we don’t put up bad ones,” Nick had said sagely.

Roddy was more than happy to agree.

During this messy process, (Roddy wasn’t sure how he got covered in various threads of tinsel and glitter), Juliette appeared. She came bearing hot chicken pie followed by lemon drizzle cake and Roddy fell on it with vigour.

Once they had finished eating, Juliette started grinning mischievously.

“Aren’t you going to show Roddy your secret project Nick?”

The Grimm laughed. “Yeah, but you have to hide remember? It’s a surprise for everyone.”

Juliette rolled her eyes, “Naturally. I’ll leave you to it.” Green eyes flashed Roddy’s way, “Keep an eye on Nick for me!”

“Sure thing.”

Nick snorted, but then vanished into a side-room before returning laden down with…

“A gingerbread house?”

“Yes, but a special one. Take a closer look.”

Curious, Roddy rose and walked over to where Nick had carefully placed the creation. Right up to it he froze.

The actual house was almost finished, bare spots awaiting ornamentation. The figures that were to be put outside the house were lying on their sides.

It was the figures that grabbed Roddy’s attention. Hardly believing it, Roddy reached out and picked up one. Running his fingers gently over the sugar creation he was astonished at how accurate its appearance was, right down to the ‘wooden’ clock the figure was grasping.

“Monroe,” he murmured.

“Yes.” Glancing up Roddy saw Nick’s encouraging smile, “Look at the others Roddy.”

Trembling, Roddy selected another figure and traced beautiful red locks, “Juliette.”

The other were there too, all the wesen and humans that Nick knew so well and trusted. The Beavers, Rosalee, Holly, Hank, Wu, and Renard and… “Oh.”

Roddy cradled in his hands a figure that was without doubt him, grinning, black curly hair, black leather jacket and his violin. What made it special was the base, on it there was a rat: large and silver - his best friend for the last five years, Mrs Kins.

Swallowing heavily Roddy suddenly was being hugged. “Hey, Juliette was right. They’re your family which means they are ours too.”

Roddy breathed in Nick’s scent, a Grimm’s odour which no longer held fear but for the longest time comfort. He said nothing to the friendly kiss on his head and both ignored his tears. Instead Roddy began working on gluing with icing the figurines around the beautiful house and adding chocolate buttons, sweets and gingerbread stars and sprinkled sugar on the house for snow.

It was all worth it when Monroe, Rosalee and Holly arrived and spent quarter of an hour over the creation.

Monroe was positively green with envy and all Nick would reveal was that a ‘friendly witch’ had made this for him.

* * *

Later, when his rats had been fed and were now curled up in the heated basement and Monroe and Nick were examining a new train set, while Rosalee and Juliette looked over their latest potion recipe, Roddy drew Holly to a corner and pulled out his violin.

“Come with me,” he whispered. Holly nodded and together they crept into the basement.

Roddy enjoyed Holly’s company. Like him she had been friendless most of her life and had her life given back by Nick and Monroe…overachievers.

She also revelled in his music as it touched her and many a time Holly had granted him insight into a tricky arrangement.

The basement was alive with his rats by the time they entered and Roddy happily greeted them. Understanding now, Holly growled in delight and stood amid the rats, arms raised. Chuckling, Roddy lifted his bow and started.

The first chord was sudden yet vibrant, the ones following building on a melody that took up the spirit and made one dance. His rats joined in, treading around Holly who spun and howled in joy. She even picked up a rat, then another, one of them Mrs Kins, her silver fur catching the light, to sit on her shoulder and danced to the never-ending  thrill of Roddy.

Lost in his music and sheer exultation Monroe’s remark almost made him drop his precious instrument.

“Hey, hold on there, Roddy.” Monroe was shaking his head, “What are you two doing celebrating without us huh?”

Monroe waved behind him and Roddy’s eyes widened. Nick and Juliette were there, carrying a miniature tree between them, loaded with decorations and Rosalee was balancing a couple of platters of food. Monroe… “Your cello.”

“No kidding. Now, are we allowed to join in with the youngsters and the rats, or do we have to leave.”

“No,” yelped Holly, eyes wide. Roddy nodded in agreement, “It would be great if you stayed.”

Chuckling Monroe said, “Well, let’s put up the tree, set out the food and play a merry jig is that right Roddy? We’ll see what our rat friends can show us.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” 

Watching as the adults prepared the basement Roddy had never experienced so much happiness inside of him. It was a warm light sensation that filled his entire being, desperate to escape and Roddy knew only one way to express himself.

Lifting his bow he saw Monroe doing the same and Holly ready to dance, Mrs Kins on her shoulder, and Juliette also holding a rat. 

Then he swept down his bow and the music carried him away on a tide of joy with his family.


End file.
